Valley Council Learns About Stimulus & State Budget

One of the very unique partnerships in the Valley is the Valley Council for Health & Human Services which brings together the leaders of the nonprofit community in the Valley on a monthly basis to network on issues of importance in the Valley. The monthly meeting which took place this morning in the Lavietes Room at Valley United Way was a particularly good example of the importance of the Council.

Shelley Geballe, J.D., M.P.H. , Distinguished Senior Fellow at CT Voices for Children was the speaker. She brought with her a presentation on the state budget and the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act that was an eye opener for everyone in attendance. She pointed out the dire financial situation facing the State of Connecticut and noted the structural problems that the state faces in its budgeting. The state simply does not have enough revenue to support its programs. Federal stimulus dollars can be a help in the sort term; but even if the economy improves over the next couple of years, the state must still address the structural issue by either raising more revenue or eliminating state programs.

Rather than dwell on the state budget, Geballe gave a well organized presentation on the Federal Stimulus funding, its impact on the state and ways to access the funding to best serve the needs of the people of Connecticut. Those in attendance had the opportunity to discover just how federal stimulus dollars are flowing into the state, the areas being funded and information on how individual agencies can apply for funding. For many of the agencies facing declining revenues and increasing demand for services, the information will prove invaluable.

The Valley Council is an incredible asset for the community that goes well beyond an opportunity for networking and sharing information, and we'll talk more about it in future posts.